


Strawberry

by Rennaren



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Introspection, Minor Character Death, Post-Season 2, Unrequited Love, extremely minor spoilers for Inspector Shinya Kogami manga, spoilers for season 1 and 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 01:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12783831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennaren/pseuds/Rennaren
Summary: Since she had joined the MWPSB at the same time as he and Kogami, Ginoza had long considered Risa Aoyanagi a friend. At one time he had contemplated who her ideal companion would be. Now, kneeling in front of Aoyanagi’s grave, Ginoza wondered if there were something he might have overlooked.This story takes place just after the events of Season 2





	Strawberry

Walking slowly between the rows of grave markers with his hands tucked into his pockets, Ginoza glanced around, counting each row he passed until he came to the one he was seeking. Turning Ginoza walked silently down the row past several markers before lowering himself to kneel in front of one of them. He folded his hands in front of him, lowering his head briefly before looking back up at the family name of ‘Aoyanagi’ which was engraved on the stone.

At his request Akane had brought Ginoza to the cemetery where Risa Aoyanagi had been buried, but now that he was here Ginoza found he had trouble deciding just what it was he wanted to say. Ginoza bit his lip tapping the fingers of one hand against his thigh briefly before curling them into a fist to stop the action. Sighing Ginoza lowered his gaze, finding his mind drifting back to a day in the cafeteria of the PSB, a little while after he, Aoyanagi, and Kogami had become inspectors.

Ginoza had been eating his lunch alone at one of the tables in the cafeteria, not particularly minding the silence, when Kogami had arrived with his own tray and seated himself across the table. It seemed that Kogami had believed the case he was currently working on had some connection to a case that Ginoza’s division had just closed, and Kogami had wanted to get more details about it from him.  
Deciding that helping Kogami at least a little wouldn’t violate the orders he had been given to not let himself become involved in another division’s case, Ginoza had just started to tell Kogami about an online message board where their primary lead had been found when he felt someone come up behind him. The person nearly pressed against his back as they leaned over him, their fingers reaching past his shoulder to activate Ginoza’s wrist link, calling up the case file. 

“…Also called “Wisdom of 365”.” said a familiar woman’s voice, in answer to Kogami’s confused reaction to what Ginoza had begun to say.

Ginoza had turned to look over at Aoyanagi, finding himself presented with a view of her cleavage directly in his line of vision. Shouting in shock Ginoza had turned sharply away as his face flushed red. He distinctly remembered the added embarrassment he had felt as Kogami had teased him, even while Aoyanagi had sat down in an unoccupied chair between them placing herself perhaps a bit closer to him than Kogami as she called up the message board on her own wrist link though Ginoza, both then and to a lesser degree presently, discounted that detail to his imagination.

Even now Ginoza felt his face heating at the memory as he sat kneeling in front of Risa’s grave. _…But perhaps that was where it had all begun…_ thought Ginoza before allowing his mind to return to the past.

Then when Kogami had challenged Ginoza’s ability to identify real flowers from fakes, Ginoza felt a surge of pride when Aoyanagi had immediately stated her recognition of Ginoza’s proficiency at doing so.  
Ginoza also recalled steadfastly attempting to keep his focus on the case he had been discussing with Kogami, determined not to let on how great the temptation was to watch as Aoyanagi’s sneaking fingers had repeatedly moved above his tray to hover over the dish of fruit on it briefly before withdrawing again with a captured slice, bringing it to her lips. Out of the corner of his eye Ginoza had found himself noting the distracting hint of a shine that they had taken on from the juices of the fruit, before shaking himself mentally as he looked away, feeling Aoyanagi’s eyes on him as she ate a slice of pineapple. Finally unable to tolerate the disruption to his concentration any longer Ginoza had speared the last remaining piece of fruit in the dish, a strawberry, with his fork in order to put a stop to it, deliberately ignoring the resulting pout from Aoyanagi.

After Kogami had left the table Aoyanagi had lingered for a time talking as Ginoza finished eating, then helping him tidy up the mess that Kogami had made, before leaving. In the days that followed Ginoza had caught himself in quiet moments wondering idly about the sort of man that Aoyanagi preferred. 

_Someone intelligent, and athletic…_ Ginoza had finally concluded. _…Likely someone physically attractive as well. …Perhaps someone like Kogami._ It made sense logically. Kogami possessed all of those characteristics, and was both charming and openly friendly as well, unlike Ginoza himself. And in spite of the mutual friendship that existed among the three them, Ginoza felt much of the time that Kogami and Aoyanagi more easily traded barbs and banter with each other. And when the three of them were together the other two mostly teased him, friendly though the teasing might be. _…Surely even Sybil would recognize the obviousness of the match._

Even though he wasn’t overly pleased by the notion, Ginoza thought he had managed to accept the idea. Still when he had begun hearing rumors of Aoyanagi’s romantic relationship with one of her enforcers he had been angry, a feeling he now recognized as one that lay closer to jealousy, at the thought that she would involve herself with someone so plainly beneath her. Though naturally he had kept the belief to himself as he had doubted that anything he would say on the matter would be heeded. Instead Ginoza had withdrawn himself further, tightening his self-defenses. So when Aoyanagi had approached him years later, after the riots that had shaken the city, telling him that the very same enforcer had fled and was now missing Ginoza had responded coldly, reminding Aoyanagi firmly of her duty. 

In the present Ginoza sighed ruefully at his past self, thinking now that Aoyanagi’s reason for coming to him, for confiding in him, may have been an attempt to seek comfort and reassurance from someone that she felt would care about her during a difficult time. And later in spite of his devastating lack of sympathy, Aoyanagi had still supported his efforts to return Kogami to the field where he would be of use when the Chief had removed him from duty. Failed though the attempt was, Aoyanagi’s response to Ginoza’s request had been unbelievably generous, as it had put herself at risk as well. 

After he had become an enforcer Ginoza had been worried about returning to the PSB, in spite of Tsunemori’s continued acceptance of him. He had expected that few people would welcome his return in light of Ginoza’s past behavior, and were more likely to make the transition difficult for him as a result, now that he had fallen so low. Risa had been among the people that Ginoza had been especially nervous about encountering, as she was one of the only people still remaining at the PSB that had known him the longest, and whom he had felt a level of friendship for.  
Her easy acceptance of him, in spite of his lowered status had been a great relief to Ginoza when they had spoken briefly during a case before he had left to assist Akane. Then later once their mission was complete Aoyanagi had joined him in his quarters for a drink. 

Ginoza smiled fractionally, as the remembered scent of tea and whiskey washed through his memory. In some ways it had felt like old times, before Kogami’s demotion and later departure and Ginoza’s own downfall, and that nothing had really changed as they had talked, and joked, and Risa had confided in him. Now looking back Ginoza wondered if a part of the warmth he had sensed between them had been more than simply a mutual friendship, and instead were the first sparks that he had consciously recognized which could have led to the beginning of something more. 

Unfortunately now, he would never have the chance to find out the truth. Entering the mental care facility and seeing Risa’s wrist link in the middle of a pool of blood and liquefied flesh had given Ginoza the feeling of having been punched in the gut as he had disbelievingly gasped out her name. All the air seemed to have been sucked from the room as he had bent to pick up the small device, ignoring the sickening sensation of the blood that coated it, cradling it in one hand as he moved in a daze to slump down onto closest seating. 

Ginoza studied the head stone in front of him intently, as if the lettering on it would somehow reveal an answer, now belated, to the question his musings failed to completely reveal the truth of. Sighing to himself Ginoza lowered his gaze to the base of the stone, closing his eyes as he returned to his thoughts.

In retrospect perhaps the offer of something more had always been there but Ginoza had simply failed to be aware of it, focused as he had been on beginning his career in the MWPSB. Ginoza’s priority had been on solving as many cases as quickly as possible, while keeping the enforcers under him in control, his crime coefficient low, and his hue clear. Later that focus had shifted with the strain of running Division One by himself to increasing his efforts at maintaining his Psycho Pass, while still keeping his performance consistent, and at the same time avoiding becoming too close to his father, Kogami or any of the other enforcers. Retaining old friendships had become a casualty to his endeavors sometime after Kogami’s demotion, as Ginoza had distanced himself from Kogami and drifted apart from Aoyanagi as a result. A short while after that Risa had increasingly involved herself with Ryogo Kozuki, as if finally giving up at last on gaining any recognition of her feelings.

“I’m sorry, that it took so long for me to notice.” murmured Ginoza softly as he reopened his eyes, allowing his gaze to pass over the lettering on the grave marker again, feeling a tightness in his chest. _…If I had only realized sooner,… perhaps things would have turned out differently for both of us…_

Slipping a hand into the pocket of the coat he was wearing Ginoza gripped the small container inside of it, hesitating for a moment before pulling the container out and setting it on the stone amid the handful of other offerings that were there. “…I brought something for you.” He explained, falling silent for a few moments before continuing. 

“…Anyway, you most likely were already aware, but we took back your junior inspector and we were able to stop Kamui. However it’s too early to know if Shisui will recover from the experience. She’s still being held, and her crime coefficient remains high. ” A faintly embarrassed expression crossed Ginoza’s face, as he shifted in place. “…I… have been keeping an eye on her condition for you, at least as much as I’m able to.” added Ginoza before falling silent again. 

Finally after some minutes had passed Ginoza glanced over his shoulder toward the direction he had come from. “I think it’s probably time that I go back. …Tsunemori is waiting.” sighing Ginoza got to his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked down. “…I’ll try to come again.” Turning on his heel Ginoza walked away leaving the small container he had brought behind. 

 

Inside the clear cube was a single large, perfectly shaped, ruby red strawberry.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday to my favorite anime guy, Nobuchika Ginoza! ...I'm (a little) sorry about posting a story ends up just a bit sad, especially on his birthday. But this is the Gino-centric fic that came to mind to be written. 
> 
> Anyway...  
> After reading the lunch room scene volume 2 of the Inspector Kogami manga and (over) analyzing all of Ginoza and Aoyanagi's interactions, I started having the idea that maybe Ginoza liked Risa Aoyanagi, but didn't say anything because he didn't think he was good enough for her/that she would be interested in him.  
> And also that Risa liked Ginoza but couldn't tell if he was interested and so apart from a few attempts to get his attention/make him jealous, never did anything about her feelings. 
> 
> This story was pretty much the result.
> 
> You can follow me on Twitter [@RennarenofAO3](https://twitter.com/RennarenofAO3)


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